Snail mucin was first popularised as a cosmetic ingredient in the late 1980s. The use of snail secretion in snail beauty products is often attributed to Chilean farmers who noticed that their hands became unusually soft and healed quickly after handling snails. This observation led to the development of the first snail mucin-based skincare products in Chile.

The breakthrough in popularising snail mucin in cosmetics, however, occurred in the early 2000s, when Korean skincare brands adopted and refined its use. The K-beauty (Korean beauty) industry played a significant role in the global spread of snail beauty products.

In summary, while snail mucin was first noted for its skincare benefits in the late 1980s, it gained widespread recognition and commercial use in the early 2000s through the efforts of Korean skincare brands.